2001 Custom Ford Excursion - Overboard

Mild No More

Taking things to the extreme is what we do--starting with a stock truck and turning it into something priceless through efforts of hard work, sweat, and plenty of cutting. Rick Spade of Spade Kreations in Cincinnati knows the intensity of labor involved in transforming someone's ride into their pride and joy. A couple years ago Rick had the opportunity to build his own Excursion, and what was slated as a mild build quickly turned into an all-out 2,500 hour parade of wrench-turning.

Starting with his 2001 Ford Excursion people-hauler, Rick had his team lift the Ford to new heights thanks to an 11-inch lift using Skyjacker springs and Bilstein 5150 shocks. With the suspension torn apart, the crew took the time to powdercoat and chrome everything underneath the frame. Removing the tiny stock wheels and tires made room for the 22x11-inch American Racing ATX wheels wrapped in Nitto 40x15.5R22 Mud Terrains. Extra power needed to turn the big tires is supplied by a 7.3L diesel equipped with a Garret ball-bearing turbo pushing 38 psi of boost, complete with Bully Dog propane injection kit, Nitrous Express kit, and a full 5-inch Bully Dog exhaust that was Jet-Hot coated for longevity. Each axle was upgraded with ARB air lockers and 4.56 gears. The ATS torque converter and Bully Dog shift kit ensure the Excursion sends all of the 810 lb-ft of torque to the ground.

Looking nice and sleek on the exterior, Rick and his Spade Kreations team installed Bushwacker fender flares from an F-250 in each fender, then added a billet grille, newer '02 Excursion headlights, and cowl-induction hood, and prepped the body for paint. Boitnott's Paint and Auto Body performed the seamless paint job using PPG Pearl White and Copper Orange with two-toned alligator flames breaking up the scheme. Totally sick to this point, the crew didn't let up inside the beast either.

Wrapping the dash in black leather and dying the pillars and panels black, the team then covered the seats and headliner in black leather and tan suede with alligator hide flames. The black carpet continues the luxury theme, and a 13-inch Billet Specialties steering wheel adds great contrast to the package. Deciding on how many and where they were going to install the monitors, the team just put them everywhere. Nineteen monitors ranging from 7 to 15 inches scattered from the headliner to the sun visors to the headrests to even the rear inner fenders can be viewed while playing Playstation 2, watching DVDs, or examining the way home thanks to Alpine navigation. JL Audio speakers provide the tunes, and with two JL Audio 450/4 amps and one JL Audio 1000/1 amp powering the 18-inch sub in the rear fiberglass enclosure, earplugs are recommended.

Completing the interior modifications are an 8-inch sub mounted in the front passenger floor and an Escort SRX radar/laser detector hidden in the cab. In case audio and video isn't your thing, opening the rear barn doors reveals a sick OEL display showcasing the wiring for the audio system. Top to bottom, front to rear, Spade Kreations did just that, created a killer custom that started out as a little project and quickly went overboard.